Story Highlights

If viewers watch "The Happy Prince," they may learn something, but there is certainly no hand-holding in this film.

It's hard to understand the passing of time because there are frequent flashbacks that make it difficult to place in a sequence. If it weren't for Wilde's changing appearance, it'd be hard to tell if something was in the past or the future.

Before you watch the movie, it's crucial to know some parts of the Irish poet and playwright's life to understand the plot. Director and writer Rupert Everett, who also stars as Wilde, assumes the audience already has this information. Maybe it's because he's starred in Wilde-related projects such as "The Importance of Being Earnest," "The Judas Kiss" and "An Ideal Husband." However, the writing lacks focus and Wilde's wit in this boring directorial debut.

Wilde was a a famous figure in London in the early 1890s, and the movie illustrates his popularity by showing him getting recognized by both locals and tourists. But when Wilde was imprisoned for indecency in 1895, his downfall began.

For such a notorious peak in Wilde's life, it felt like the film made it a footnote. It is briefly mentioned, but at least we see how it affects Wilde's relationships, even if they could have been depicted better.

Wilde's famed lover Lord Alfred Bosie Douglas (Colin Morgan), known as Bosie throughout the film, is an unlikable character. He comes off with no charm, just an insufferable, self-absorbed attitude.

It would have been nicer to see more of Wilde's wife, Constance (Emily Watson), in the film. She was a complex character who both loved her husband and simultaneously despised him for his homosexual affairs.

His dear friends Robbie Ross (Edwin Thomas) and Reggie Turner (Colin Firth) are also underrated characters. Ross clearly loved Wilde and wanted the best for him, noted in scenes when they're walking on France's beaches and Ross is trying to talk Wilde out of going back to Bosie. Turner's advice, falling on deaf ears, also fails. But at least his character brought a sense of wit and humor that the rest of the film lacked.

Don't let the title fool you. This film is anything but happy, but that's the point. The goal here was to show the tragic downfall of a once-praised hero, similar to the actual poem written by Wilde with the same name. But because of the lack of depth in supporting characters and half-baked writing, this movie couldn't have ended fast enough.